Metal drawing stripper



July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29. 1963 I 18 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jul sums HEN 2v 6. HENRKLWN com/1.15 LINGEWIS BY 4. 0mm 5mm l TTOENEY July 2. 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N s w m Q N "3 a: N u N M (5 2 'l 2 a 8 2 t I N m M I 2 2 I'd t 3 w Q 3 i u N I il 'hil 'wlhhl '7 III 1 p" l I N k I N 0 1- 2 a 1 2 a 2 3 Q mmvroas HENRY a. HENRICKSON COENELIS muse w/s BY A. DEAN SMITH A TTOIZN July 2. 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS DEA/V SMITH III on July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN As A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Q n N x 3 N M w a a w O In x b o w m) w w Q Q 'N (I?) N n N INVENTORS HENRY a. HENR/CKSfl/V CORNEL/S umsswls BY A. new SMITH y 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING S TRIPPER Original Filed April 29. 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 NNN ma- A. DEAN SMITH J y 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 mvrzm'ons HENRY a. IIEMRIt/(SON cae/vsus uuezw/s A DEAN SMITH 5 A r TORNY 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 as so as a;

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INVENTORS HENRY c. ll'Nk/CKSON com/n 1s mmsswzs BY A. DEAN SMITH Arroeue ly 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 4 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 I I I I I I I INVENTORS HENRY a. HENmcKsa/V co/weus mucew/s BY A. nan/v 51mm 5'' 5 (i AT0RNE July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL.

A. METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 9 zaz INVENTORB COENELIS LAM/GEMS BY A. DEAN SMITH July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 10 mvmmns HENRY a. HENEICKSON coz/vsus MMFEW/S BY ADEAN smrn ATTORNEY 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 l8 Sheets-Sheet 11 INVENTOR5 HENRY & HEN/ZlC/(SON com/541s LflA/GEWIS BY EAN SMITH A 0 (a ATTORNEY July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3, ,5

ALSO KNOWN As A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTORS HENRY 6. HENRIL'KSON COR NELIS LANGEW/S BY A. DEAN SMITH (7 Arromvej y 2, 1963 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1965 18 Sheets-Sheet 1:5

INVENTORS F19, If HENRY a. HENRICKSON cam/51.15 LAMEWIS BY DE/Ml SMITH A f ATTORNEY July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 E N h o N uJ O 3 5 u: o m g "1 8 g Q u; o E

)i z 4 k N N N uvmvrons HENRY a HENRICKSON COENEL IS I 4N6 WIS BY A. DE/VN sM/ m 4 TTORNEY July 2, 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTORS ,ugu/ar a. HENR/cksa/v CORNELIS LANGEW/S' BY A. DEA/V SMITH ATTORNE u 2, 1963 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 mvsmons HENRY GJIFNRICKSON caznsus Lmu'w/s DEAN SMITH Arr-02M y 1968 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,390,565

ALSO KNOWN AS A. DEAN SMITH ETAL METAL DRAWING STRIPPER Original Filed April 29, 1963 18 Sheets-Sheet 17 mvsm'ons may a. #avmcx sou comm/s LANEEW/S BY 4. DEAN SMITH ATTORNEY United States Patent 4 Claims. (Cl. 72-344) This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 276,632, filed Apr. 29, 1963, now Patent No. 3,353,394.

The present invention relates to machines for forming cup-shaped metal containers, and particularly elongated cup-shaped metal containers, such as the cans used in the food preservation industry.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide an improved machine for forming cup-shaped metal containers, such as elongated cup-shaped metal containers, from starting blanks or workpieces which may have the form of shallow sheet metal cups or fiat blanks and also to provide improved apparatus for feeding the blanks to said machine and for stripping the finished containers from the forming ram of the machine.

Other purposes and objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification taken with the drawings which together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the machine and apparatus for carrying out the invention. Other embodiments of the invention may suggest themselves to those having the benefit of the teachings disclosed herein and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope of the su'bjoined claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general plan view of a container-forming machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a central vertical section through the machine taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows associated with said line;

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D are fragmentary vertical sections illustrating various parts of the machine shown in FIG. 2 in different operational positions;

FIG. 4 is a detail view illustrating a component mechanism of the machine shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detail view illustrating another component mechanism'of the machine;

FIG. 6 is a cross section of a blank such as may be delivered to the machine of the invention, and superimposed thereon a cross section of the container formed by the machine;

FIG. 7 is an elevation of the blank-feeding apparatus of the invention viewed in the direction of the arrows 7--'7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8A is a plan view of a horizontal section through the blank-feeding mechanism of the apparatus of the instant invention;

FIG. 8B is a plan view similar to FIG. 8A illustrating a different position of the blank-feeding mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section through the blankfeeding apparatus and the blank-receiving station of the machine generally taken along line 99 of FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows associated with said line;

FIG. 9A is a detail of a portion of the blank-feeding apparatus when viewed in the direction of the arrows 9A9A shows in FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating schematically the power train between the main drive shaft of the machine and the mechanism of the blank-feeding apparatus for Patented July 2, 1968 delivering blanks from a magazine to the blank-receiving station of the actual containing-forming mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation viewed in the direction of the arrows 11--11 of FIG. 1 of the initial portion of the power train illustrated in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective of a component of the blankfeeding mechanism;

FIG. 13 is an elevation viewed in the direction of the arrows 1313 in FIG. 1 which illustrates the terminal porton of the power train represented schematically in FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is an exemplary diagram of the electric circuitry and of the hydraulic and pneumatic line used operate various parts of the machine of the invention;

FIG. 15 is an end view of a novel stripping mechanism used with the container-forming machine of the invention;

FIG. 16A is a section through the mechanism of FIG. 15 taken along line 1-6-16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 16B is a section similar to FIG. 16A illustrating the position of the stripping mechanism as the forming ram of the machine pushes a container therethrough;

FIG. 16C is another section similar to FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrating the position of the stripping mechanism during the actual container-stripping phase of its performance;

FIG. 17 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale or a component of the stripping mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16A, B and C;

FIG. 18 illustrates the relative positions of the cams which control the operation of the container-forming machine and the blank-feeding apparatus therefor; and

FIG. 19 is a phase diagram illustrating the operation of the container-forming machine and the blank-feeding apparatus as controlled by the cams shown in FIG. 18.

General organization of the machine The machine of the instant invention generally coinprises a ram or punch R and a mechanism M for reciprocating said ram to drive, during its forward stroke, a cupshaped blank B (FIG. 6) through a sequence of dies D (FIG. 2). The machine of the invention also comprises a blank feeding apparatus F that delivers the cup-shaped blanks in their proper position into the space between the retracted ram and the first of the dies, and a mechanism S at the end of the last die for stripping the completed container bodies or receptacles without injury, from the ram at the beginning of the return stroke thereof.

The ram and the mechanism for reciprocating the ram The mechanism for reciprocating the ram comprises a barrel or housing 10 within which is operated a piston rod 12 whose forward end or extremity carries the ram. This barrel has a first portion 14 of a relatively small internal diameter, a second portion 16 of a somewhat larger internal diameter which is suitably joined to said first portion, and a radially extended third portion 18 which constitutes the blank-receiving station and which has a lateral aperture 20 (FIG. 9) through which the feeding apparatus F delivers the blanks in timed relation with the advance of the ram and into a position wherein they may be properly acted upon by the ram (FIGS. 8A, 8B). The barrel 10 also comprises a terminal portion 21 which contains a tubular housing 22 for the reception of suitable dies D through which the ram draws the blanks B (FIG. 6 to form them into container C of predetermined length, diameter and wall thickness.

For reciprocating the piston rod 12 and hence the ram at high speeds while maintaining precise axial alignment with the barrel 10 so as to produce containers having substantially uniform wall thicknesses, the rod 12 carries within the first portion 14 of the barrel a piston 24. The open end of said first barrel portion communicates directly with a closed reservoir 26 that is filled with liquid. The reservoir 26 is formed or located at the upper end or first portion of a vertically disposed cylindrical column or enclosure 28 preferably of a substantially larger diameter than the diameter of the adjacent end of the barrel. Within the cylindrical or second portion of the enclosure a piston 30 is slidably received. During operation of the machine piston 30 is continually reciprocated between predetermined levels by a circular cam disk 34 that is eccentrically mounted upon a horizontally disposed shaft 36. Shaft 36 is supported in a third portion of the enclosure below and transversely to the axis of the barrel and is driven from a motor 38 through a train of pulleys and belts collectively identified by the reference numeral 40 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a suitable reduction transmission represented by the housing 42. The edge of the eccentric 34 engages a roller 44 that is pivoted to the sem 46 of the piston 30. Hence, whenever the motor 38 is set into motion and turns the shaft 36, the rotating eccentric 34 raises and releases the piston in rapid succession (FIGS. 14 and 18). When the eccentric raises the piston 30, it forces the pool of hydraulic liquid in the closed reservoir 26 against the piston 24. This is effective to push the piston rod 12 forward and project the ram on its outer end from the barrel to an extent determined by the size and eccentricity of the disk 34, so that it may force a blank delivered in front of the ram through the dies D (FIG. 3D).

To return the ram with utmost speed to its initial position upon completion of the can-forming forward stroke thereof, i.e., as soon as the rotating eccentric permits the actuator piston 30 to drop and with the piston 30 releasing its pressure upon the liquid in reservoir 26, the piston rod 12 carries within the second portion 16 of the barrel a second piston 48. Piston 48 is at all times yieldably urged in a direction opposite to the direction in which the positive hydraulic pressure is applied to the piston 24 by a cushion of compressed air that is maintained in the hollow interior S of a column 52 which communicates with the interior of the second portion 16 of barrel through an opening 54 at a point in front of said second piston 43 (FIG. 2). In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the column 52 advantageously has the added function of supporting the front end of the barrel. The interior of column 52 is supplied with compressed air from a suitable source (not shown) by means of a conduit 56. In order to maintain the pressure of air in said column and in the barrel portion 16 at a uniform level, conduit 56 contains a pressurenegulating valve represented by the circle 58 in FlGS. 2 and 14. During the upward stroke of the actuator piston 30, the positive hydraulic pressure applied to the piston 24 overcomes the opposing pressure of the air cushion applied to piston 48, but as soon as the eccentric 34 permits the the actuator piston 30 to recede from its position of maximum amplitude, the compressed air in column 52 and barrel portion 16 becomes immediately effective to return the piston rod 12 and hence the ram to their initial position (FIG. 3A).

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention described herein, the blanks have the form of shallow cups, such as illustrated at B in FIG. 6. In order to maintain these cups in their proper position from the instant when they are engaged by the advancing ram at the beginning at its forward stroke until they are drawn through the dies, a cup-holding device 60 is received within the end of the second barrel portion 16 in the space between the inner wall of said barrel portion and the ram (FIG. 3A) for initial sliding movement in unison with, but independently from, the ram from an initial position wherein it leaves sulficient space between its front edge and the first of the dies for a blank to be delivered thereinto (FIG. 3A) to a position wherein it holds the bottom of a blank against said first die (FiG. 3C).

The ram advantageously has a diameter equal to the internal diameter which the completed container is intended to have, and the second barrel portion 16 is within which it moves has a significantly larger internal diameter than the diameter of said ram. Adjacent its outer end, however, the barrel portion 16 has a restricted area of limited axial length that may be established by a sleeve 62 of suitable wall thickness which bears against and is suitably anchored in the inner surface of barrel portion 16. Slidably interposed between and forming an airtight seal with the sleeve 62 and the ram is the body portion 64 of the cup-holding device which has the form of a thickwalled sleeve. At its outer or forward end body portion 64 carries firmly secured thereto a sleeve 66 of the same internal diameter as the body 64, and sleeve 66 projects into the blank-receiving portion 18 of the barrel. This sleeve constitutes the cup holder proper and its external diameter is of such size that it slides snugly into the interior of a cup-shaped blank (FIG. 3B). The piston rod 12 upon which the ram is mounted is of a somewhat lesser diameter than the ram, and interposed between said piston rod and the body of the cup-holding device is the tubular stem portion 68 of an apertured disk 70 that surrounds the piston rod and is firmly secured to the inner end of cup-holder body 64. The free face of said disk is recessed as shown at 71, and the disk is of such a diametrical size as to extend radially a limited distance beyond the outer surface of the cup-holder body 64, yet leave an annular space 72 between its peripheral edge and the inner surface of the barrel portion 16.

The compressed air in said barrel portion 16 acts at all times against the disk 70 and urges the cup-holding device at all times toward the dies D but the end of piston rod 12 adjacent the ram is provided with an annular retaining member 74. Said retaining member engages the inner edge of the tubular stem 68 of disk 70 and limits outward movement of the cup-holding device relative to the piston rod and the ram under the urgency of the compressed air to the position illustrated in FIG. 3A wherein the front edge of the cup-holding sleeve 66 is substantially flush with the front face of the ram. When the ram is in its fully retracted position, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, both the sleeve 66 and the ram leave suflicient space for a blank to be delivered in front of the first of the dies.

After a blank has been placed into its proper position before the ram, with its hollow side facing the ram, and the ram begins its advance propelled by the upward stroke of the actuator piston 30, the compressed air in the second barrel portion acts upon the disk 70 and forces the cup-holding device to advance in unison with the ram and enter and engage the interior of the cupshaped blank (FIG. 38) so that said blank retains its properly centered position as the advancing rarn engages the bottom of the cup and begins to force the cup through the dies D (FIG. 3C). Forward movement of the cupholding device in unison with the ram is limited, however, by engagement of a shoulder 76 formed by the area of disk 70 which projects radially beyond the body 64 of the cup-holding device, with the inner edge of sleeve 62 secured to the barrel. Said shoulder 76 comes against the inner edge of sleeve 62 when the front edge of the cup-holding sleeve 66 is spaced from the first of the dies by a distance substantially equal to or somewhat greater than the thickness of the sheet material from which the cup is made (FIG. 3C). During the following drawing operation effected by the continuing advance of the ram, the compressed air behind the disk 70 holds the leading edge of the cup-holding sleeve 66 with a predeterminable pressure in its proper cup-engaging position. This pressure, of course, depends upon the amount of air pressure set up in accumulator columns 52 and barrel portion 16 and is so chosen as to prevent crinkling of the wall of the cup as it is drawn through the dies.

Upon completion of the forward stroke of the ram, the actuator piston 30 releases the liquid in reservoir 26 and 

1. IN CONTAINER-FORMING MACHINES OF THE TYPE HAVING A DIE AND A RECIPROCATING RAM FOR DRAWING A BLANK THROUGH SAID DIE, A MECHANISM FOR STRIPPING THE FABRICATED CONTAINER FROM THE RAM COMPRISING AN ANNULAR DISK HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING, A PLURALITY OF JUXTAPOSED CONTAINER-RETURN BLOCKING MEMBERS ARRANGED ABOUT SAID OPENING AND HAVING FINGER PORTIONS EXTENDING RADIALLY INTO THE SPACE DEFINED BY SAID OPENING, MEANS FOR YIELDABLY HOLDING SAID MEMBERS IN THE DEFINED POSITIONS, AND MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS AND SAID DISK AND ACTING AS FULCRUM MEANS FOR LIMITED BACKWARD MOVEMENT AND TILTING OF SAID MEMBERS AGAINST THE URGENCY OF SAID YIELDABLE MEANS AS THEIR FINGER PORTIONS ARE ENGAGED FROM WITHIN BY AN EMERGING CONTAINER. 